EFFECT OF ALKALINE HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE TREATMENT ON THE INSACCO DEGRADABILITY OF CROP RESIDUES

The level of alkali used for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment, ratio of crop residues to alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) and different tr eatment periods revealed that the highest dry matter degradability (DM D) could be achieved when crop residues were treated with 1% AHP at pH 11.0 to 11.5 for 6 hr at room temperature. Wheat straw (WS), rice str aw (RS), maize stovers (MS), pearlmillet stalks (PMS) and sorghum stal ks (SS) were treated with 1% AHP containing either 1.5% sodium hydroxi de (NaOH w/v) in 1:5 ratio (HAHP) or 4.2% NaOH (w/w) in 1:2 ratio (LAH P) for 6 hr at room temperature. In all the crop residues, the acid de tergent lignin (ADL) decreased (69%) significantly by both HAHP and LA HP treatments. The crop residues with low initial DMD were more respon sive to AHP treatment. The degradability of ADF, cellulose and hemicel lulose was improved significantly by HAHP than that by LAHP treatment, the former resulting in 15% DM loss. However the degradability of NDF was comparable in both the treatments. Therefore, to attain the best results LAHP treatment (containing 4.2% NaOH, w/w in 1:2 ratio for 6 h r at room temperature) was recommended for improving the nutritive val ue of crop residues.